יהושע, פרק י״ג, פסוק ח׳

The division of the land among the tribes does not begin from nothing; it rests firmly on foundations already laid east of the Jordan River. Establishing the territories for the eastern tribes forms a bridge between the leadership of Moses and that of Joshua, carrying deep historical and spiritual meaning. As the inheritance is discussed, a certain group is referenced as being present alongside the others without being explicitly named right beforehand. The primary approach among commentators is that this refers to the other half of the tribe of Manasseh. Because one half of the tribe was already involved in the preceding events, the narrative naturally treats the second half as standing right there with them [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת דוד].

The inheritance of these tribes is treated as something they had already actively taken, showing that their territory was defined, accepted, and finalized during the days of Moses. Consequently, this distribution remains valid and permanent; Joshua had no need to divide the land for them again or adjust any established borders [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The narrative also emphasizes the act of giving the land twice to highlight two distinct aspects of the division. The first aspect is the actual granting of the geographical area and its outer borders, while the second emphasizes the precise, detailed manner in which Moses distributed the tracts among the different tribes [מלבי״ם].

On a deeper level, Moses's role is emphasized by repeating his name and appending the title servant of God. According to inner traditions, the settlement of the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh east of the Jordan was not a random preference. It was actually a punishment, as they did not merit entering the Land of Israel itself. Yet, out of His immense kindness, God chose to cover their shortcoming so as not to shame them publicly. God quietly planted the desire in their hearts to ask for this specific territory, allowing them to feel they were claiming the land of their own free will and initiative. Moses's cooperation in this matter is tied to his title as God's servant, demonstrating that he acted strictly on God's command to carry out this hidden consequence. He did so with such profound secrecy that the tribes never realized they were being punished, walking away with the belief that a great favor had been done for them [חומת אנך].